Optical illuminator



Sept. 19, 1933. w 5 LAFANS 1,927,520

OPTICAL ILLUMINATOR Filed Jan. 21, 1951 \a Inven'bor': Walter S. Lafans.

KHiornegs.

Patented Sept. 19, 1933 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This inventionrelates to a surgical appliance, and while the invention is capable ofuse for practically all examinations or operations on the V 7 humanbody, it is of particular useto dentists, eye, ear and throatphysicians, and for surgeons generally. It has been the common practiceto examine parts of the* human body such'as the teeth, throat, etc.,with. the naked eye, and to; operate or work on such parts while thesame are.

viewed with the naked eye; This has also been true withsurgical-operations; It'is obvious that much finer and more delicatework can be done if the-parts are viewed under magnification.

' It is an object of thisinvention, therefore, to

'15 provide a surgical appliance by which various parts of the humanbody can beviewed under magnification, and at the same time beilluminated'so that examinations can be made thereon or operationsperformed thereon.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a magnifying devicesuch as a lens, together with an illuminating means mounted adjacent thelens and preferably at the edge thereof and which can be moved tovarious positions about said lens so worked upon can beeffectively-illuminated.

It is also an object of the inventionto provide is carried on a suitablestandard, said bracket being preferably mounted about a universal jointand said standard preferably also being ad- 'justable. I

It is still another object of the invention to provide a device adaptedto be attached to a chair such as a dentists chair comprising astandardand a forwardly extending arm, said parts being adjustable and said armcarrying at. its forward end a member'swingable thereon in which aims ismounted, said lens having a' semi-annular member extending thereaboutand a lamp carrying means mounted on and slidable circumferentially onsaid semi-annular member.

It is mor e' specifically-an object of the invention-to provide a lenshaving a rim thereabout, a semi-annular member extending about said rim,a member slidably mounted on said semi-annular member andcircumferentially'movable thereon, means for holding said member invarious positions, and a member swingable on said last mentioned memberand arranged to carry a lamp and reflector therefor.

' These and other objects and advantages of lowing description madeinconnection with the that the desired portions being "examined ornular'or ring-like member 22.

tion' and has the projecting lugs 22d through and held upon the lens 23.

the invention will be fully set forth inthe fol-- a web 22 at the top ofportions 22 and 220; Mem- 7 accompanying drawing, in which likereference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several viewsand in which:-

Fig. 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical sectionof the device; and

" Fig. 2 is a partial view in front elevation shown on a reduced scale.v

Referring to the'drawing, a device is shown comprising a bracketlO; Thisbracket has a vertically extending plate-like. portion 10a hav-' ing avertical slot 101) therein adapted to fit over a screw or threaded stud11 which may extend from the rear side, of aback 12 forming part of achair in which the patient'sits. Screw-11 has a hand operated nut 13thereon which can'be tightened against bracket 10 to hold the samerigidly inposition. Bracket 10 also'has an up-' standing boss 100 inwhich is mounted a standard 14. While the standard may be of any desiredconstruction or material, in practice it has been found convenient tohave the same made of flexible tubing which can be bent in variousdirecv tions but which will retain the position to which it is bent. Thetop of standard 14 carries'a socket member 15 in which is disposed aball 1611' forming part of an arm 16. Ball 16 extends at right angles tothe main portion of arm 16 so thatthe latter as shown extendssubstantially horizontally. Arm 16 can 'be'moved'to different positionsand held by a set screw 15a. Arm 16 is formed as a tube in which isslidable therod 17. Tube 16 has a small boss'16b adjacent its endthrough which extends a set screw 18 having a small wheel at its end bywhich it may be tightened or loosened. Rod 17 has secured to its outerend a bracket19, the same being shown as'pinned to said rod by the pin20. Bracket 19 has a depending bifurcated portion 19a between the armsof which is disposed a lug21a of bracket 21, the same having anotherdepending lug 211) which is embraced by the bifurcated portion 22a ofprojection 221) extending rearwardly from a semi-anv A stud 19?) extends through portions 21b and 22a and has thereon a wing nut 190 whichcan be loosened to relatively swing said portions or tightened to holdthem in fixed relation. Member 22 extends about a rim 22c forming theholding rim for a lens 23; The rim 22c is split at its bottom porwhichpasses the headed and nutted bolt 24 by means of which the rim 220 isclamped upon The member 22 is connected to the rim 220 by arms 22c andalso by a projection adapted to seat in the groove- 22g. A ball 25b isdisposed at the end of the short arm projecting downwardly and outwardlyfrom member 25, which ball is embraced by a socket member 6. Socketmember 26 has secured thereto a lamp socket 27 in which is secured alamp 28. A reflector 29 is also mounted on the socket 27. A screw 30extends through the bracket 25 and engages the member 22.-;hav.- alpractice and found to be very successful and ing a head thereon by whichit canbe tightened to hold bracket 25 in the desired position. A cord 31having conductors therein extends to thesocket 27 and as shown, thispasses into the socket member 26 and through a small depending'lug25c=on member 25 and through the ball 25b. l Said cord extends to a drumorreel 32 mounted in a casing supported on a bracket 34:which is. madeas a portionoi or secured to the arnilG. :The, drum 32 preferably willbe turned by a spring (not shown) so that the cord 31 will be wound uptherecnand ,kept under suitable tension, Cord 31. extends through thecenter of drum 32 and through lugs 35 on standard is? to a suitablesource of current. As the lampismoved, the cord will be drawn off of thereel;

standard 14, which standard may be either sup- I .ported on the floor orsecured in a chair as shown.

The standard will be adjusted to bringthe arm -16 into. the desiredposition and rod l'l will be adjusted so that the lens 23 can be broughtin frontpf the desired location. If the throat is to be examined or ifwork is to be done on the teeth, the lens-will be positioned in front ofthe mouth .of, the patient. 3 a0.

The, dentist or physician in .charge can then look through the lens andwill see the portion to be examined or worked upon, vmagnified. Thelamp28 will be lighted, and the portion to be worked upon or examined willthus the illuminated. The bracket 25 can be moved to any point on themember 22 and secured in, place .by. the screw 30. In the usualoperation of the .-device, the operator .will be disposed on the sideot-the-lens opposite the lamp 27.' The lamp 27 the .lens.23.

thus illuminates the portion being viewed through The light willbedirected upon the desired place by a reflector 29. It'will be seen thatthe lamp and reflector do not come within the held of the lens so thatthere will be no inter- =ference withthe' lens and the lamp or reflectorwill not get in front of the portion to be examined or worked upon.While the lens 23 may be of-various sizes, in practice it has been foundthat 1 a lens about four and one-half inches in diameter .is veryeffective. .is using the device to examine or-work upon some When thephysician or dentist portion. of the patients mouth or throat or the.teeth, the lens can be placed in front of the .mouth and also acts toshield thephysician from .the breath of the patient or from any moistureor Jglobules which may be emitted from the patients mouth.

From the above description it is seen that applicant has provided a verysimple and. efficient appliance which has a high degree of utility. It

.is obvious that in dental work much more. accurate work can be donewhen the parts being worked. upon are magnified. The device is also -ofgreat utilityand advantage in performing any .pperation inwhich aknifeisused. ;It.-wi1l read-, .ily be seenthat an incision can be much moretion, va support, ,:an, arm extending from .said -support, auniversal-joint connecting said garm and support; a .member carried:at-t-he other. end --of said arm and movable relativelythereto; a. lensmountedin saidmember; a member mounted on said last mentioned-memberandmovable thereon about said lens, and a lamp carried .by said armswivelly accurately located when the surgeon sees the parts undermagnification. This is quite important, as often times a very slightvariation in the location of a cut means important results. As stated,the lamp is disposed adjacent the edge of the lens and can be readilymoved about the lens and brought to the most advantageous position toilluminate the portion being examined or. worked upon. The lamp andreflector are .small and are disposed sothey do not inany way interferewith the work or the use of the lens. The device has been amplydemonstrated in actuemcient.

-It -will;of course, be understood that various .changesrmaysbe made inthe form, details, ar-

rangement and proportions of the parts, without departing from the'scopeof applicants invention,

which generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out theobjects above set forth zinzthezparts; and. combinations. ,ofparts.disclosed and; defined "in the :appended claims.

said device, and anilluminating.element-:mountj n toandslidableahout.saidsdevice to be locatedfat idiiierent peripheryofrthe same, In operation, the device will be supported bya secondmember; carried-by andspacedfromsaid member and extending around said116115,.111188115 movable on said second member todiflierent. po-

sitionsaround said lens, anda.lamp,;carried;b5

said means; i 3. ;A surgical,appliance; havingjn .combination, a. lens,a member extending about the :edge

of said lens, meansjmounted, on isaidimember and movable to differentpositions about saidlens,and adamp carried by. said means; 4.Agsurgicalappliance havingxa combination,

- a lens, ,a supporting means :for saidslensximeans for holding saidmeans in various: positions, a

.a lens,.a member slidable cnumferentiallyiab g nS.. andi;being andadjacent. the edge Ofsaid,

movabletoward and, from said lens,'and a'lamp carried. bygsaid member.

6. A surgical appliance having in .combinalastmentioned memben r 7.: Asurgical appliance having in combination, a standardadapted to: be movedto; and=heldsin .ldifferent; positions; an extensible and contractiblesecured to said standard, a lensholding means carried by saidarm;.andmovable about-.axesat-rightangles to each other; and a lampcarrying-member-mounted to beslidable-cir- 'cumforentially about saidlens 8..A isurgical appliance having .in.-c 0mbiI,1a--* tion, astationary support, a lens, alens holding means mounted on saidsupport-and movableto difierentpositions relatively thereto, alampgdisposedadjacent one edge ofsaid lensyand cmeans for supportingsaid lamplmovable circumferen- 1 mp supported :adjecent the; edge. of:said lens 120 10. An apparatus of the class described having incombination, a lens, means carrying said lens and extending thereabout,a lamp support mounted on said means movable to different positionsabout said lens, a lamp carried in said support for illuminating anobject viewed through said lens, said lamp support being movable towardand from the plane of said lens.

WALTER S. LAFANS

